, 1887-07-02

Tic scope Oh THIS OUor, OUT SnOrtly
he made on arrangement with the Board Of
Works for obtaining the reduced rate, and
the tenants were at once given the benefit Of
it, Sir Charles Russell was led to believe that
Lord Lansdown had borrowed at So IS. Sd.
and lent at 5 per cent, and this was the
foundation of a charge which, otter suffering
an ignominious fate at Lord Landowners
hands, has been revived by Mr.. O'Brien and
his friends in the present emergency. The
truth is Lord Lansdowne FIRST borrowed OF
81 and lent at 5, and then. on the better
terms being granted, borrowed at e3 8s. Sd.
and, while assuming the entire risk, advanc-
ed the money to the tenants at the Same
figure.
Further, it is said by Mr.. O'Brien that
in the case of those ~Luggacurran ten
ants who had judicial rents, Lord Lans-
downe refused to abide by the
dation of Lord Cowper's commission,
ly, that judicial rents, i.e., rents fixed
by the Land Court, should be revised
in consequence of the fall in the price
of agricultural products. Mr.. O'Brien units
to state, however, that what Lord Cowper
recommended was a revision at the end of
five years, the Land Court fixing for a period
of fifteen. The judicial rents at Luggacurran
were fixedin 1883 and 1884, and Lord Lans.
downe was and is quite willing not only to
give IN abatement tossuch of those tenants
as car show that they are suffering hardship,
but to submit to a revision at the end of
five years. But even Mr.. O'Brien must,
admit, assuming that he is willing to concede
II rights to Lord Lansdowne ct all, that it
was hardly fair for tenants whose rent had
been fixed in 1883 and 1884, to demand @
revision in November, 1886, which was the
date of their strike. For if they are to obtain
o revision whenever prices happen to be low,
while Lord Lansdowne is by law debarred
from increasing the judicial rent when prices
are high, what becomes of the equity of the
arrangement? It is not necessary to deal
at length with Mr.. Kilbride's assertions. He
himself admitted at a meeting of the National
League held in Dublin on March, 10 that he
and other tenants at Laggacurran were quite
able to pay their rents, but simply did not
choose to pay them-a position not distin.
guishable either in kind or in degree from
that of the fraudulent bankrupt. Mr.. Kill
brides principal charge against Lord Lans.
downe is that he rack.rented the Luggacuran
tenants. Mr.. Kilbride paid, or rather con-
tracted to pay, a rent of e760. Grifith's
valuation, made thirty years ago, being e434.
But since Grifith's time the sum of GS,200
has been spent by Lord Lansdowne in i'm
proving the land held by Mr.. Kilbride. Lord
Lansdowne borrowed this money from the
Board of Works at 81 per cent, but charged
the rental with only 4 per cent, or $3.50 o
year. This brings Grifith's valuation up to
1854. Besides. Mr.. Kilbride was offered an
abatement of 80 per cent, which he refused,
demanding so; and 90 per cent. off the rent
would bring it down to sos, or within 1854
OF Grifith's valuation plus the charge-by
which Lord Lansdowne lost 81 per cent.-for
improvements. There is no rack-renting
here. The only rack,renting in connection
with the Luggacurran property appears to-
have been done by Mr.. KiIbride himself
This is a point which demands the immediate
attention of Canadian and American Nation.
alists. Mr.. Kilbride sub-let a portion of his
holding. One of the subtenants, Labor by
name, rented 80 Irish acres from Mr.. Kilbride,
for which Mr.. Kilbride charged him twenty
shillings an acre, whilst all Mr.. Kilbride ageed
to pay Lord Lansdowne was eleven shillingsl
We think the ground traversed by Mr..
O'Brien in attacking Lord Lansdowne has
now been pretty thoroughly explored. Leav-
ing that aspect Of the case out of considers
ton, Mr.. O'Brien, as an intelligent man.
must be convinced that in coming to Canada
to assail the Governor-G General for something
he was said to have DONE in his capacity as
an Irish landlord, he made grave blunder. In
stead of ~iniuring Lord Lansdowne, Mr.. OBrien
has simply succeeded in swelling and extending
his lordship's popularstys while, 50 far from
nvob;uo svnnathv for thR Nationalist causa